Tool tray



March 20, 1962 L. E. MILLER ET AL 3,025,159

TOOL TRAY Filed Aug. 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS March 20, 1962E. MILLER ET AL 3,026,159

TOOL TRAY Filed Aug. 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSL LLOYD E. MILLERBy HOWARD J. BALDWIN ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,026,159Patented Mar. 20, 1962 3,026,159 TOOL TRAY Lloyd E. Miller, P.O. Box626, Winston, Oreg., and Howard J. Baldwin, Winston, Oreg. (413 15thSt., Sparks,

Nev.)

Filed Aug. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 47,785 1 Claim. (Cl. 311-21) This inventionrelates to an adjustable tool tray, and has particular application tothat type of tray used in connection with the servicing of a motorvehicle.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of a tool tray whichcan be readily supported on and attached to the filler spout of theradiator of a vehicle after the removal of the radiator cap.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a tool tray ofthis character having means for adjusting its angular inclination to thehorizontal, whereby the tray may be leveled, or may be positioned at anangle in order to provide ready access to the tools contained therein.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved meansfor adjusting the angular inclination of the tray with a minimum ofeffort and difficulty.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improvedmeans for attaching the tray to the support thereof, and readilyremoving the same, whereby trays of different sizes or configurationsmay be employed.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a device ofthis character having improved means for fixedly securing the same tothe radiator or filling spout of the vehicle, with a minimum of effortand difiiculty, and which may be detached substantially immediately whendesired.

Still other objects reside in the combination of elements, arrangementsof parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fullypointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of one form of tray embodyingfeatures of the instant invention shown as attached to the filling spoutof a vehicle;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along theline 2--2 of FIGURE 1, as viewed in the direction indicated by thearrows;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through thecenter line of the construction as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the device as removed from the fillingspout;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 55 of FIGURE 2, as viewed in the direction indicated bythe arrows;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 66 of FIGURE 2, as viewed in the direction indicated bythe arrows; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view, parts being removed,of the underside of the tray, showing the mean for attaching the same tothe top of the supporting standard.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly toFIGURE 1, the device of the instant invention comprises a tray T whichis adapted to be secured to and mounted on a support, generallyindicated at S, which in turn is mounted on the filling spout F of amotor vehicle radiator R. The tray T may be of any desired construction,although it is shown as circular in the instant illustrative embodiment,and is preferably provided with a bottom 10 and a marginal flange 11.The underside 10 of the tray T has atfixed thereto a plate 12, which isprovided with opposed aligned annular flanges 13, having inturned edges14. A stop member 15 is provided at one end of the plate, for a purposeto be more fully described hereinafter.

An arm 16 is pivotally secured, as by means of a pivot 17, to theunderside of the tray, adjacent the plate 12, and is provided at itsextremity with a depending portion 18 having a reverted end 19 which isadapted to engage over the annular rim 11 of the tray, for the purposeof securing the tray in fixed relation to the support, as will be morefully pointed out hereinafter.

A detent 21) is provided on the bottom of the tray, to hold the arm inone position of adjustment, and a stop 21 is positioned on arm 16, alsofor a purpose to be more fully described hereinafter.

The support S consists of a tubular member 25, the upper portion ofwhich is inclined, as at 26, and which is provided with a top plate-likeportion forming a rectangular block having side flanges 27, the platebeing indicated at 28. In securing the tray T to the support, the plate'28 is inserted between the flanges 13, resting on the lower revertededges 14 thereof, and seating against the stop 15. The arm 16 is swungfrom the dotted line position of FIGURE 4 to the full line positionthereof, with the reverted end 19 engaging over the rim 11, and the stop'21 limiting further rotative movement of arm 16. Detent 20 serves tohold the arm 16 in adjusted position, to prevent accidentaldisengagement of the parts.

The member 25 is closed at its lower end by a plate 29, which has anaperture therethrough, the aperture being indicated at 30, through whichextends a bolt 31, having a head 31a, which seats against the bottomplate 29. Positioned directly beneath the bottom plate 29 is a circularcam member 32, having a knurled edge 32a, as

best seen in FIGURE 1. The cam member 32 is provided with a bore 33through which the bolt 31 extends, the bore being aligned with anopening 34 in the top plate 35 of a second tubular member 36. The bottomof the member 36 is also angularly inclined, as indicated at 37. Awasher 38 surrounds the bolt interiorly of the member 36, and is biasedinto position by means of a coil spring 39 which is held in position bymeans of a nut 40.

Member 36 is provided with a plurality of flange segments 41, eachincluding a vertical portion 41a and an inturned portion 42, which areadapted to engage over the conventional outwardly extending projections43 formed on the upper rim of the filling spout F.

A laterally extending projection 45 extends from one side of theangularly disposed base 3 7 of tubular member 36, and has securedthereto the flattened end 46 of a lever 47, which is provided at itsouter extremity with an operating knob 48. The underside of flattenedportion 46 is provided with a cam surface 49, as best shown in FIGURE 5,and is adapted to engage in clamping relation the lip 54} of the fillingspout, as best shown in FIG- URE 3.

A bolt 51 and nut 52, the bolt being extended through suitable alignedapertures in portion 46 and member 45 serves as a pivot point for thelever 47. A projection 53 on the side of flattened portion 46 limitsrotative movement of the member 47.

From the foregoing the use and operation of the device should now bereadily understandable. When it is desired to employ the tray T as areceptacle for tools, the hood of the motor vehicle is raised, and thecap of the filling spout is removed. The flange 41 is then positionedover the projections 43 of the spout, and the lever 47 moved to aposition where cam surface 49 is engaged under the lip 50. The tray haspreviously been secured to the top of support member 27, by insertingthe plate 28 in the channels 13, and moving the arm 16 to the full lineposition of FIGURE 4. At this time the cam 32 may be suitably adjustedby rotation about bolt 31 to 3 vary the angular inclination of the trayT to any selected position of adjustment.

From the foregoing there will now be seen that there is herein providedan improved tool tray, which accomplishes all of the objects of thisinvention, and others, including many advantages of great practicalutility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as manymodifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to beinterpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

In a tool tray comprising, in combination, a tool pan,

7 a support for said pan, said support comprising an upper tubular leghaving an angle top, a lower tubular leg having an angle bottom, and acam rotatably positioned between said upper and lower legs, means on theunderside References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 821,572 Allen May 22, 1906 2,482,278 Koerner Sept. 20, 19492,726,834 Hoge Dec. 13, 1955 2,922,684 Miller et a1. Jan. 26, 19602,942,920 French June 28, 1960 2,962,333 Policastro Nov. 29, 1960Saegmuller Feb. 18, 1879

